The President of the Government, Pedro Sanchezgave new impetus to its green agenda and asked the President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula Von der Leyenthat “the current level of ambition” of emissions targets is preserved … of CO2 for the automobile industry.
The pulse that Sánchez gave to the EC this Friday comes just a week after the government presented its new aid and incentive plan for the automotive sector, but very focused on electromobility; and comes ahead of next week’s review, when Brussels will present the findings of the “strategic dialogue” with the European auto industry.
In his letter, Sánchez believes that “the Commission has already introduced flexibility (…). “Any additional flexibility would risk causing a significant delay in modernization investments, which would have a direct impact on the future competitiveness of the European automobile industry,” said the president.
This request comes at a delicate moment in the race for electromobility. The government’s roadmap, included in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (Pniec), estimates that by 2030 there will be a mobile fleet of 5.5 million electric vehicles. This clashes head-on with the possibility that combustion engine cars will continue to have an active market presence in the future.
As for the rest of the partners, the Spanish government shares its position, already known and similar to that of France, on the conclusions that will be presented next week, with an opinion opposite to that of Germany or Italy.
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This is the objective of the Pniec concerning the fleet of electric vehicles by 2030, a complicated objective if there is no penalty for the thermal engine.
Among other points, Sánchez showed his rejection that combustion vehicles or other technologies without proven viability could continue to be commercialized beyond 2035.. Furthermore, while he recognizes that hybrid vehicles must retain “their transitional role until that date,” he stressed that plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) must be subject to production limits to promote market penetration of electric vehicles.
On the other hand, he showed strong support for the proposal to make corporate fleets greener, as an important driver of electrification and a practical way to help original equipment manufacturers achieve their goals.
“It has a lot of potential to become a powerful instrument on the demand side of zero-emission vehicles and to expand access to green mobility for European citizens by accelerating the growth of the second-hand market,” he argued.
NO HYBRIDS
The Spanish president also does not look favorably on the hybrid car, whose sales have exploded in recent months thanks to its “ECO” label.
Spain is also calling for a definition of a “small and affordable car” to be established as a new homologation subcategory (different from Japanese “kei cars”), which ensures that affordability and accessibility are fully integrated into the European mobility framework.
“A new, well-defined category would democratize access to electric mobility across Europe,” emphasized Sánchez, whose unique mobility vision focuses on electric. Furthermore, in the letter, he considers that this approach is “essential” to ensure that the transition to zero-emission technologies is inclusive and affordable for all consumers, while contributing to the achievement of climate objectives.
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